Electrical stimulation therapy of the pancreas to increase or suppress the production of insulin has been described in published PCT application WO 2004/021858, which describes a variety of configurations of electrodes that might be used for this purpose, including point, line, mesh, plate, ball, and hollow coil-shaped electrodes.
Published PCT application WO 2000/27468 describes an electrode for cardiac stimulation, in the shape of a flexible helical coil. The electrode is coated with a layer of titanium nitride or iridium oxide, which provides a low impedance and high capacitance coupling between the electrode and the heart tissue. The coating, with a microscopic structure that gives it a very high effective surface area, prevents irreversible loss of ions from the tissue and from the electrode. A stiffening stylet may be inserted into the central lumen of the helix. Multi-wire leads are used to independently supply power to several electrodes positioned at different locations in the heart.
The disclosures of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.